By Daniel Harkavy

The coaching session starts like this: “Coach, I have a few things I want to run by you today. The first has to do with how I am thinking about my leadership team. I think I have some challenges that I had better address sooner rather than later. The second has to do with how I can best proactively prepare myself and my wife for this next big life transition when our last kid leaves for college. I think we have some work to do before we head into this empty nest season of life. I want you to help me think through these today.”

There is a great Hebrew proverb that says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.” Many of our clients come to us for the unbiased outside insight that our Executive Coaches bring. They’re looking for counsel on the plans they have created for their businesses and lives and they want to make more winning decisions. As we kick off the New Year, I encourage you to do the same.

Even we coaches continue to sharpen our skills and perspectives by working with leaders of partnering businesses and organizations. This gives us the experience and expertise to really give our clients the clarity and confidence required to make the best decisions in a timely manner.

So my question as we head into another new year is this: Who offers you a valuable outside perspective? Who do you have on your team who’s only agenda is your success? If you are considering adding a coach to your team, there are a few things I would encourage you to look for:

• A coach with a proven track record.
• A confident and discerning coach who has the insight and courage to ask you the tough questions.
• A coach with a great grasp and understanding of your type of role, business or organization. While I believe that a great coach can walk into any new industry and add value, there is real benefit from working with one who understands your products, services and vernacular.
• A coach you connect with. I recently had a client say that the trusting and safe environment our coaches create allows her team to tackle the real issue holding them back from greater levels of success.
• A coach with proven processes that lead to growth, clarity and improved thinking, performance and results. At Building Champions Inc., our CoreFour (link to: http://www.buildingchampions.com/who-we-are/our-company/) is just that. Many clients come our way after getting lackluster results from otherwise great coaches who lack a process that leads to sustainable transformation and improved results.

I encourage you to find the right person to provide valuable outside insight to your team in the year ahead. Your teammates, shareholders, family and friends will be glad you did!

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